Visit your child's school.
Meet with your child's teacher to see if your child is actively
involved in math. Find out how you can help your child to better understand
math problems.
Set high standards for your
child in math. Make sure your child is mathematically challenged
and encourage his or her interest and pursuit of math. By the end of
the 10th grade, your child should be expected to have studied algebra
and geometry.
Help children see that math
is very much a part of everyday life. From statistics in sports
to the sale price of clothing, from the calories in food to the amount
of gas needed to travel from one city to another, math is important
to us every day. Help your child make these connections to math.
Point out that many jobs require
math. From the scientist to the doctor, from the plant manager to
the newspaper salesman, from the computer programmer to the hardware
store owner, many jobs require a strong foundation in math. Help your
child see that math leads to many exciting career opportunities.
Stimulate your child's interest
in technology. Encourage your child to use calculators and computers
to further learning.
Play games that help children
develop decisionmaking and mental math skills. There are many games
sold commercially, such as board games, that involve patterns and probability.
Play games from your own family traditions such as counting games and
games that keep score. Try schoolyard games such as jump rope, hopscotch,
and jacks. Games require children to use strategies to make decisions,
solve problems, and develop an understanding about numbers and how to
use them (number sense) and computational skills.
Positive attitudes about math
will reinforce encouragement. Your feelings will have an impact
on how your children think about math and themselves as mathematicians.
Positive attitudes about math are important in encouraging your child
to think mathematically.
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